


True Neutral

by KeyholeCat



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Multi, OT3, Polyamory, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-03
Updated: 2014-03-26
Packaged: 2017-12-28 06:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/988753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeyholeCat/pseuds/KeyholeCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyouko Kirigiri and Mukuro Ikusaba team up to save a kidnapped Makoto Naegi, marking the beginning of a unique relationship among the three.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Makoto Naegi Defense Squad, Pt. 1

“You did _what?_ ”

Hagakure flinched at Asahina’s incredulous shriek. His eyes darted back and forth as if searching for an escape route. “I, uh… hey, it’s no big deal, ‘right? I’m sure Naegi-chi is fine, he’s just, uh… they needed him to take a survey or something! Yeah! That’s what they told me!”

“Sounds like a rival gang is tryin’ to mess with my closest buds! They say anything about the Crazy Diamonds? What did they look like? I’ll rip those fuckers a new one!” Oowada cracked his knuckles and neck.

“I don’t know, they were wearing some funny looking masks…” Hagakure’s eyes widened. “They must have been a cult looking for a human sacrifice! I’m always getting followed by creepy dudes wanting to use my powers for bad stuff… I always tell ‘em, I ain’t into none of that! I swear!”

Ishimaru finally recovered from shock enough to respond. “My goodness, this is not good! Very not good! Hagakure-kun, there are not enough detentions I could give you that would absolve you of such a crime of irresponsibility! You must rescue our missing classmate as soon as possible so that he does not miss any lessons!”

“Huh? R-right now?”

Ishimaru was taken aback. “N-no, of course not! Skipping a class and leaving school grounds is not advisable!”

“Hagakure-kun,” Kirigiri began calmly, “where were you two when the kidnappers took Naegi-kun?”

“Uh… let’s see… we were heading back to the school grounds after we ate at a new restaurant that opened up…” He grasped his head and squeezed his eyes shut. “Aw, man, I can’t remember! It was dark, and I was freakin’ out!”

Rather than berate Hagakure for his carelessness, Kirigiri simply nodded and continued. “I see. And did you see where the culprits went?”

“No, I was distracted, y’see, I was distracted by… running away…” He suddenly clapped his hands together and bowed his head as though praying to the fair-haired girl. “I’m sorry! If you’d like I could scry for him with my crystal ball for a discounted price!”

“You would have her pay a price to assist in solving a problem for which you are the cause?” Oogami said slowly.

Hagakure flinched again and stared at the Ogre with even wider eyes. “W-w-well uh, I think I can… manage to drop the price a little more… maybe a buy one get one half-off deal? Eh heh…” He gulped nervously.

“There is no need,” Kirigiri replied, rising from her desk, eyes closed. “I will find Naegi-kun and bring him back.”

“But Kirigiri-san, what if they… do you think they will fight back? What if they want to keep him?” Fujisaki asked, voice trembling.

She was answered by a scoff from Togami. “They won’t want to keep him forever. They clearly want something in exchange for him. Though why they would choose such an unexceptional individual for a hostage, I haven’t the slightest clue.”

“I’ll deal with such issues as I encounter them. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Kirigiri moved towards the classroom’s exit. Class hadn’t started yet, so she could skip the part where she has to explain to the teacher that she was leaving to work on a case. Not that she usually explained it, anyway.

However, Ishimaru stepped in her way. “Kirigiri-kun! I cannot allow you to so blatantly disregard school policy by skipping class. Unexcused absences are not permitted!”

“But I have an excuse. I’m going to save Naegi-kun.”

“That may be, but surely you can wait until class has been dismissed!”

Kirigiri stared at him for a long moment. The classroom was silent. Then, she held up a gloved hand and coughed into it. She held her other hand up to her forehead. “I’m not feeling well. I think I should go to the nurse.”

“Oh! Well in that case, we will have you escorted to the nurse’s office at once and—“

“I will go.”

It was Ikusaba. She had stood up at her desk before Ishimaru even finished his sentence. “Hmm? Ah, Ikusaba-kun! It is good to see that you are expressing concern for your fellow classmate. Very well, then, I will take care of the class note, and you will see that Kirigiri-kun reaches the nurse safely.” Ikusaba gave a small nod and appeared at Kirigiri’s side.

“Get well soon, Kirigiri-san,” Celes said coolly, hiding a small smile behind her hand.

“Thank you. Let’s go.”

-x-

They had only reached the end of the hallway when Kirigiri stopped and turned to face Ikusaba. “I’m not going to the nurse. You’re taking me to the entrance of the school.”

Ikusaba tilted her head to one side. “You’re not sick?” Kirigiri was only half-convinced that she was joking.

Nevertheless, Ikusaba led her all the way to the front gate. Kirigiri thanked the girl for her cooperation and made as though to leave, but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. “You can’t go out that way anymore. It’s locked.”

“Locked?” Ikusaba nodded. Kirigiri reached for the gate and gave it a tug and a push. Sure enough, it stayed tightly shut. “That’s odd. I’ve left the grounds during school hours before, but it’s never been locked.”

“They’ve been locking it ever since that protest last week. A safety precaution, I guess.” Ikusaba shrugged. “I could help you over, if you want.”

Kirigiri raised an eyebrow. Why the sudden burst of generosity? She couldn’t recall Ikusaba having said so many words to her in all the time they had been classmates. What did she have to gain from helping her? Was it a trick? Or was she merely bored? Or maybe…

Kirigiri smiled and closed her eyes. That was a mystery for another day, she decided. “Very well.  I trust you not to have anything up your sleeves." She turned towards the gate again. “So how do you suggest I escape? I don’t see any locking mechanism… anywhere…” She trailed off when she saw that Ikusaba was down on one knee with her fingers interlaced. She stared at Kirigiri expectantly. Clearly she meant to act as a makeshift lift to help raise Kirigiri high enough to make it over the gate. “Oh. Well, that’s simple enough.” She placed the ball of her foot in Ikusaba’s waiting hands, but paused before grabbing onto the bars of the gate. "Oh, but… if you would be so kind as to refrain from looking up my skirt…”

Ikusaba’s eyes fluttered in surprise. “What? No, I wasn’t… I mean…” Her face flushed and her jaw set. Kirigiri had caught her off-guard, it seemed.

“It was a joke. I don’t actually care what your motives are.” At this, Ikusaba's icy mask returned. Again, Kirigiri hesitated, looking the gate up and down and adjusting her position. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to such… hands-on activity.”

Having quickly developed immunity against Kirigiri’s humor, Ikusaba merely kept her eyes downcast until the detective was ready. When she started to pull herself up by the bars, Ikusaba stood up and lifted Kirigiri’s foot to provide a much-needed boost so that she could reach the top of the gate. After a brief period of struggle, she managed to perch on the edge before jumping down to the other side. “Thank you, Ikusaba-san. I owe you a favor.” Ikusaba did not answer, but watched as Kirigiri dropped to the ground, managing to land on both her feet without breaking anything. “I’m not asking for your assistance, but… if I’m not back within a day or two, I may be in trouble. If that’s the case, then I would appreciate some aid.” Again, Ikusaba remained silent. Kirigiri could only hope that she would comply, and that her help wasn’t for some unfavorable ulterior purpose. Either way, there was no going back now. She turned her back to the young mercenary and gave a “See you later” before departing. For now, it was better to focus on saving Naegi than dwell on the whims of paranoia.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You would not believe how many times Naegi has been kidnapped. It's like everyone just takes turns getting him kidnapped. They probably draw straws or something


	2. Makoto Naegi Defense Squad, Pt. 2

Finding the location from which Naegi had been kidnapped turned out to be fairly easy. All Kirigiri had to do was find the restaurant he and Hagakure had visited (the shaman had mentioned wanting to eat there the day prior, so she found it quickly) and find out which route they had taken back to the school grounds. It required her to make multiple trips to and from the restaurant, but she soon found an alleyway that looked satisfactorily suspicious. Even more so when she spotted a ransom note pinned to one of its walls.

As far as ransom notes go, though, it wasn’t much. All it said was “We have the boy” and listed a string of numbers which, at first glance, appeared to be nonsense. Kirigiri knew, though, that they were the key to locating Naegi. It struck her as somewhat strange that there didn’t seem to be any demands included in the message. She could only assume that it meant the kidnappers would make their demands on the scene when Kirigiri met them. Because of this, she doubted they were in this for the sake of money or other such material goods—or at least, not immediately. If that were the case, the demands would be listed in plain sight so that she would be able to prepare for the exchange prior to the meeting.

Of course, until it became clear that she would have no choice but to comply, she had no intention of cooperating. She would instead focus on rescuing Naegi before the meeting was to take place; that would catch them off guard. Even with the element of surprise, though, she knew she’d be outnumbered and outgunned, particularly because she wasn’t armed in the first place. But then, she wasn’t planning on tackling it alone…

“Ikusaba-san,” she called. “I know you’re there. Please come out.”

There was a moment of stillness, as if Ikusaba thought that staying hidden would fool Kirigiri. She must have thought better of it, though, because after several seconds, she revealed herself from behind one of the nearby dumpsters, her expression somewhat sheepish. “You want to save Naegi-kun too, don’t you?” Kirigiri inquired. The embarrassed scowl that appeared on Ikusaba’s face was all the confirmation she needed. “In that case, I think we should form a mutually beneficial arrangement, if only until he is found. It will be simpler than tailing me everywhere I go, don’t you think?”

Ikusaba regarded the detective warily, her brow still furrowed as she considered. Finally, she said, “Fine. But you won’t tell anyone else about this alliance. Especially Junko.”

Kirigiri nodded in agreement. “Very well. Though I don’t think we’d be able to hide it very well from Naegi-kun.”

“That’s fine.”

“So, do you know anything about this case other than what Hagakure shared?”

Ikusaba looked away and crossed her arms. “Not really. But I’m guessing this is where he was taken from, right?”

“I think so. In fact, I’m almost certain.” She gestured to the ransom note. “I believe this note was left behind by the kidnappers.” She handed it to Ikusaba, who stared at it intently. “Those numbers are likely to have something to do with where we’re supposed to meet with them to discuss the terms of his return.”

“Then are these… coordinates?”

Kirigiri shook her head. “I think it’s some sort of cypher to determine the meeting time and the address of the location. It shouldn’t be too difficult to crack.” She lifted her head and gazed at the sky. “But… it’s getting dark. Let’s head back to the dormitory so that we can plan.”

-x-

“It looks as though this meeting is to take place in a few days. Probably to give whoever finds it time to decipher the message.” Kirigiri had invited herself into Ikusaba’s room and sat at the table studying the note as the other girl gathered the weapons and gear she wanted to take. Ikusaba didn’t object to her being there, though she was unaccustomed to having someone who wasn’t Junko invade her base of operations. Not that Junko visited much, anyway.

She wasn’t sure what she should bring other than the essentials, seeing as they had not yet discussed their plan of action. In fact, she wasn’t even sure if she should use lethal force; if what Hagakure had said about the kidnappers’ masks was true, then there was a chance that the culprits were members of Super High-School Level Despair. If she killed them, then… well, Junko might not be _dis_ pleased, but it probably wouldn’t be too conducive to her plans.

Of course, Ikusaba shared none of these concerns with Kirigiri. It was dangerous enough for Ikusaba to be cooperating with her in the first place; one slip-up, and the detective may find reason to suspect her of being involved in the despair that was slowly taking hold of the school

“Are you lost?"

Ikusaba blinked and realized that she’d just been standing there staring into space. “Oh. Sorry, I was just… thinking.”

Kirigiri closed her eyes and hummed appreciatively, as if she’d just taken a sip from a warm cup of tea. “A soldier thinking… that’s a dangerous thing, indeed.” She then fixed her gaze on the girl again. “Ikusaba-san… you’ve done absolutely nothing to earn my trust. That being said, I don’t think your intentions in helping me rescue Naegi-kun are malicious. Because of that, I am giving you the benefit of the doubt in hopes that I can find a reason to absolve you of distrust.”

“You… want to trust me? Why?”

Her lips curved into a small smile. “Let’s just say that I’ve been trying to be a little more… hopeful.”

“I see.” There was only one person that could have inspired such an outlook in someone as cynical as Kirigiri. Ikusaba turned away from her, intending to end the conversation there, but Kirigiri continued.

“You interest me, Ikusaba-san.”

“Huh?”

“I think we’d be good together. As partners.”

“Partners…?”

Kirigiri nodded resolutely, then turned her attention back to the note. “Investigations sometimes lead to dangerous situations. While I’m usually able to handle myself, I’d feel safer with someone like you by my side.”

“What about Naegi-kun?”

Kirigiri chuckled. “I don’t think he’s quite as adept at combat as you.”

“No, I know that, I mean… doesn’t he usually help you out?”

“Yes, that is true. But who says I can’t have two partners every now and then?” She leaned forward, resting her chin on interlaced fingers. “So, what do you think? I realize that this offer is coming from nowhere, so I understand if you don’t want to answer right away.”

“I…” Kirigiri was right, this was unexpected. It could also be a trick; if she suspected Ikusaba of anything, it was likely she wanted to keep tabs on her. And even if she genuinely wanted to use Ikusaba, the mercenary was busy enough running errands for Junko. It would be impossible to keep up with the two of them. “I must decline. I have, uh… prior engagements that don’t leave me with very much free time. I’m sorry.”

Kirigiri frowned. “I understand. Well, if you ever get tired of being your sister’s shadow, come see me.” She stood up. “I believe I’ve finished deciphering this message. As I thought, the meeting seems to be scheduled for the end of the week, on Saturday.”

Ikusaba’s throat went dry. “Saturday? In three days? What are they doing with him until then? Is he safe?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t say. They’re keeping him alive, at the very least.”

“What’s the address? I can go get him as soon as I’ve finished preparing.”

“That won’t do you any good. They wouldn’t be there ahead of time, or it would be too easy to find them. The existence of a scheduled meeting time would be moot.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

Kirigiri brought a finger to her chin, thinking. “Well, the easiest option is to do as we’re told and concede to whatever demands they have… but we’re not going to do that. If we can’t locate them before the meeting, then perhaps we can intercept them as they arrive at the site of exchange. Of course, we have no way of knowing how early they’re going to arrive there, so it’s best if we show up at least a day in advance.”

“A stakeout,” said Ikusaba. “That’s not a problem. I can even camp out there starting tomorrow.”

“I don’t believe that will be necessary. Besides, one of the kidnappers might visit there ahead of time and cause you trouble. While I don’t doubt your ability to defend yourself, I’d like to avoid any more violence than is needed. Also…” She tucked a silky strand of hair behind her ear. “I did say that _we_ are going to rescue him. I’m going to be there with you, whatever happens.”

Ikusaba remained silent for a few moments, thinking. She couldn’t fathom why Kirigiri was so intent on working together; if she distrusted Ikusaba so much, then the detective could have just left her in the dark and met with the kidnappers by herself. Plus, Kirigiri couldn’t be sure that Ikusaba wouldn’t just go off on her own. Hell, she had half a mind to do it. But… for some reason, something told her that she should be fair to Kirigiri and honor her plans. It was the least she could do in exchange for the information she provided.

“Fine. But I’m going to scope out the place once or twice beforehand. I won’t stay long, though.”

“Thank you,” said Kirigiri, bowing her head. “I’ll leave the note here with you; I don’t think I’ll need it anymore.”

Ikusaba expected her to leave at this point, but instead she lingered, her violet eyes studying the girl standing before her. “Um… what is it?” Ikusaba asked. “Do you need something?”

The corner of Kirigiri’s mouth twitched into a smirk. “...Nothing. Goodnight, Ikusaba-san.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SHSL Innuendo


	3. Makoto Naegi Defense Squad, Pt. 3

It was exceptionally cold that night, but Ikusaba was dressed in nothing more than her school uniform and a flak vest. Kirigiri wished that one of them had thought to bring a blanket or extra jacket. She shivered and moved closer to the glowstick that the mercenary had placed in the center of the floor, though she knew it emitted no warmth.

They had chosen to hide out in a building that was under construction, so there were no windows to keep out the chill. It was, however, conveniently close to the meeting place. Too conveniently, they’d both realized, which was why Ikusaba was on high alert, patrolling around the room over and over. It made Kirigiri tired just watching her. “Ikusaba-san, why don’t you come sit over here for a while?”

The girl in question looked over at Kirigiri, surprised, and replied, “I can’t leave my post. Someone could show up at any moment.”

“If they come, you’ll hear them. Besides, I don’t imagine they’ll show up until the early morning. But… do as you wish, I suppose.”

Ikusaba’s brow furrowed as she considered. Her desire to obey must have outweighed her paranoia, though, because she shuffled over to the other side of the glowstick and sat down. As if to hide herself from the girl before her, she folded her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

Kirigiri, on the other hand, took the opportunity to move closer to a heat source. As she scooted over to Ikusaba and pressed up against her, Ikusaba stiffened. “What are you--”

“It’s exceedingly frigid out here. Forgive me if I don’t want to freeze to death.” Kirigiri knew she was exaggerating, and Ikusaba probably did as well, but she only sighed in response. Slowly she relaxed and the two sat shoulder-to-shoulder and faced the glowstick in silence.

The ambience of the night only seemed to grow in the quiet between the two girls. There was the constant drone of cars racing through the streets a block away. In the other direction, the wail of a siren and a dog barking at some stranger. A gust of cold air rushed through the open windows surrounding them. Kirigiri shivered. She needed to distract herself from the chill.

“Ikusaba-san,” she began. “I know how you feel about Naegi-kun.” At this, Ikusaba hugged her legs a little more tightly and stared at her knees. Kirigiri guessed that she had no intention of discussing the matter on her own, so she continued. “That’s the only reason you’re accompanying me, isn’t it? You wouldn’t do this for any of our other classmates. Besides your sister, that is. I suppose she could have asked you to do this, but then, you did request that I stay quiet about our cooperation, and I can’t imagine why she’d worry about Naegi-kun enough to send you after him.” The soldier remained still. “I guess I don’t blame you. He is the kindest boy in our class. Not nearly as high-strung or self-absorbed as the others. Granted, he’s still a bit dense, but… I suppose his normality is something like a breath of fresh air…” Suddenly she stopped herself, realizing that she’d just been blathering on about Naegi from her own perspective. She silently thanked whatever deities were responsible for making it too dark for the soldier to see the pink that spread across her cheeks.

When she glanced over at Ikusaba again, however, she was met with a stern, somewhat quizzical gaze. “Why are you doing this?”

Although it was a perfectly reasonable thing to ask, for some reason it caught Kirigiri by surprise. Fortunately, she recovered quickly. “I’m sorry. I’m not telling you to back off. Nothing like that. I guess I’m just… agreeing with you.”

“So? What does it matter?”

“Hmm? Oh, I… I don’t know, actually.” Well, this conversation was going nowhere. She was probably doing nothing but make Ikusaba feel uncomfortable. The fact that they were in such close contact only made it more unpleasant. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t talk about such personal things when we barely know each other.”

Ikusaba ignored the apology. “How did you know? About… you know.” She had looked away from the detective, letting her hair form a dark curtain between them, but spoke nonetheless.

Kirigiri smiled, glad that her rudeness did not deter the mercenary. “You may hide yourself behind a mask of ice, but even the smallest action can betray your thoughts and feelings. A twitch of the lips, or maybe where you choose to turn your gaze. When Naegi smiles at you, you nod. When he speaks up in class, your eyes drift in his direction. The others don’t notice these things you do, but I always have.”

There was a pause before Ikusaba responded. “Right. Super High-School Level Detective skills. Nothing escapes you, Kirigiri-san.”

“Well, yes, that kind of talent helps. But I’m not all-seeing. It’s because I pay attention.” She reached over and tucked the girl’s hair behind her ear so that she may better see her face and let her hand rest on Ikusaba’s shoulder. “As I told you before, you interest me, Ikusaba-san.”

Ikusaba promptly batted away the offending hand. “I’m not a case for you to solve,” she retorted coldly.

Kirigiri sighed, disappointed that her heartfelt words were so misinterpreted. “No, I suppose not.”

The conversation ended there. Once again, silence permeated the darkness around them. Honestly, Kirigiri was surprised that Ikusaba was putting up with what could most certainly be regarded as bullshit. No, she hadn’t even bothered to create any distance between them. Now that she thought of it, though, maybe Ikusaba was used it. Enoshima did not seem like a very pleasant sister to have; she could only imagine what their home life was like.

“Kirigiri-san,” she said, breaking the silence. “Could… we talk about something else?”

Well, at least she was still open for conversation, Kirigiri thought with a smile. Perhaps she’d even humor the detective and permit her to pry for just a little longer. But then, she probably shouldn’t be provoking the girl when Kirigiri had been the one to ask for her help. Maybe she’d better try for some normal conversation.

“What’s the most unusual corpse you’ve ever produced?” she asked.

“Um… well, I don’t usually pay attention to what gets left behind,” Ikusaba answered, “but there was this one time I ran over a guy with a tank. I don’t know why he didn’t move out of the way, but he was as flat as a pancake when we got out and looked at him.” She shrugged. “I was only just learning how to drive back then, but they still didn’t let me touch the tank for a while after that.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t court martial you. Fenrir soldiers were extremely valuable, weren’t they?”

“Oh, it wasn’t even one of our guys. I’m pretty sure it was an enemy soldier. I can’t remember.”

“Impressive,” said Kirigiri. “But still nothing compared to many of the bodies I’ve stumbled across. Of course, I suppose that comes with the territory. Certain murderers and serial killers tend to get creative with their victims. Once I found a body in a container with its skin and organs completely liquified.”

“Gross. What happened to it?”

“I wasn’t too sure myself when I first discovered it. I had to enlist the help of a Super High-School Level Forensic Scientist. Apparently it’s a more earth-friendly way of disposing of a body than cremation. The fact that the murderer knew of the process helped narrow down the list of suspects significantly.”

“I’ll have to keep that in mind…” At this, Kirigiri raised an eyebrow at Ikusaba. “Er, I mean for when I die, of course. I can’t exactly liquify people on the battlefield.”

Kirigiri smirked. “Certainly. Interestingly enough, that wasn’t the only time I found a liquified body, though I believe the methods were different for the second…” She continued to regale the mercenary with gruesome tales of serial murders and other such mysteries she’d solved. It was refreshing, she thought, to speak to someone who wouldn’t shy away from talk of death, though Ikusaba didn’t share many stories of her own. They eventually spoke of other things, of course, with topics ranging from the redundancy of forcing SHSL athletes to participate in gym class to the stupid things they’d seen people try to use as weapons. Truthfully, Kirigiri almost forgot that they were squatting in the middle of a construction site waiting to ambush a pack of criminals. That is, until a frigid breeze swept through the room again.

She clutched her arms in a feeble attempt to block the chill. “Th-this is ridiculous,” she said, teeth chattering.

“You’re unprepared. You should have brought a blanket.”

“Did you?”

“Well, no, but… never mind.” Abruptly, Ikusaba stood up and walked over to one of the windows.

“Patrolling again?”

“Yeah.”

“We probably still have a few hours until they show up.”

“I know.”

She didn’t bother giving any further explanation. Kirigiri’s sigh turned into a yawn. “In any case, I think I may try for a nap. I haven’t actually slept in a few days, now that I think of it.”

She heard Ikusaba give an amused scoff. “A nap? In this cold? You might never wake up.”

“Is that a challenge?” Kirigiri joked. “I think I’d rather die in my sleep than of sleep deprivation. Oh, but don’t liquify my corpse. I want to be buried with my family. Though, if you’re so worried, you could just check to see if I’m breathing every now and then.”

“Whatever. Just be ready to run when the enemy shows up.”

“Roger that,” Kirigiri muttered, lying down on her side and facing away from Ikusaba. With a final sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to relax.

Unfortunately, the temperature seemed to drop even lower in response to Kirigiri’s exhaustion. Gusts of freezing air relentlessly blew through the open space. As she curled into an even tighter ball,she wondered whether this was punishment for allowing Naegi to fall into criminal hands. In an act of defiance, she tried to imagine a roaring fire and a steaming cup of tea, hoping that this would trick her body into thinking it was warm and cozy, but the chattering of her teeth shattered that hope. She should probably be embarassed at how her breath shuddered as she shivered, what with Ikusaba’s apparent resistance to the elements, but the soldier didn’t seem to take any notice.

That’s what Kirigiri thought, at least, until she heard footsteps approach from behind and clothes rustling as someone laid down beside her.

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Ikusaba mumbled as she wrapped her arms around Kirigiri. The detective couldn’t help but notice that she wasn’t the only one who was shivering. “I wasn’t joking about freezing to death. Also, your chattering teeth are distracting.”

“More distracting than spooning a girl in the middle of the night? Shouldn’t you be keeping watch?”

“If they come, I’ll hear them. I’m a light sleeper.”

“Your flak vest is digging into my back. Can you remove it?”

“No. Go to sleep.”

Kirigiri sighed and resolved to oblige. She wasn’t too sure how wise it was to be in such close quarters with a known killer, especially when she still didn’t fully trust Ikusaba, but for the time being, Kirigiri decided that the cessation of her shivering was more important than the humoring of her paranoia. Besides, if the soldier’s intent was malicious, she wasn’t sure if she could escape Ikusaba’s grasp even if she wanted to.

Drowsiness overtook her more quickly than she expected. The addition of such a heat source certainly helped warm Kirigiri’s body, though the cold still nipped at her nose and ears. She thought about turning to face Ikusaba and burying her face in the crook of the girl’s neck in a shameless attempt to steal further warmth from her, but then, Ikusaba had already dealt with enough queer behavior from Kirigiri tonight. She didn’t want to push her luck any further.

And so, thinking these thoughts, Kirigiri fell asleep.

-x-

Ikusaba didn’t often remember her dreams, but she could usually guess what they involved based on whether she awoke peacefully or with a knife in her hand. Despite her claims of being a light sleeper, it wasn’t out of the question for her to sleepwalk, either; she’d once found herself all the way in the central plaza of the school campus well after the sun had set. That hadn’t really surprised her until she realized that she had to have climbed the fence that was always locked at night.

Given her penchant for doing such things in her sleep, it probably wasn’t the greatest idea to be wrapped around a girl that she definitely wasn’t supposed to kill yet. She could easily (albeit, accidentally) strangle Kirigiri in her sleep, as she’d done with a few family pets in the past. Junko may have found it funny back then, but she’d surely scold her sister for killing someone who was to supposed to participate in their plan. And yet here she was, breathing in Kirigiri’s scent as she drifted in and out of sleep.

(If Kirigiri was half as smart as she looked, she’d know that it was dangerous to disturb a sleeping warrior. Of course, that was exactly why she decided to try it.)

Ikusaba sensed a form looming over her before even fully regaining consciousness. Instinctively, she brought up a knee to her attacker’s groin and shoved them away, rolling over so that she became the one pinning the other down. She landed straddling her attacker, her hands tightly clenched around their wrists so that they couldn’t make use of any weapon. As her assaulter gasped for breath after having had it knocked out of their lungs, realization slowly dawned upon Ikusaba as she recognized the radiant whiteness of Kirigiri’s hair splayed around her face like a halo.

There was a moment of tense silence as the two stared at each other. Soon, though, Ikusaba gave a relieved sigh and released her captive’s wrists. “Sorry. Reflexes, you kn--” The words stuck in her throat when a gloved hand caught Ikusaba by the collar as she tried to lean away. She froze again and looked back down at the detective. Kirigiri was watching her with a cool, patient gaze, as though she was expecting something from her captor. Well, if Kirigiri didn’t want her to pull away, then maybe…

Ikusaba descended to meet Kirigiri’s lips with her own. Kirigiri responded eagerly, releasing Ikusaba’s shirt and sliding her hand up the other girl’s neck and into her short, black hair. It wasn’t the most graceful of kisses (or, uh, series of kisses), but the feeling of Kirigiri’s tongue brushing across her own was enough to make Ikusaba’s fingers curl against the sawdust-coated floor.

Ikusaba’s lips were at Kirigiri’s throat when she heard it. Immediately her entire body tensed, ready to spring like a spooked beast. “Did you hear that?” she whispered. Kirigiri paused, listening. Then she nodded. Ikusaba leapt to one of the windows, taking care not to let herself be seen by whatever was outside. “They’re here,” she said. “Six of them. No... seven.”

“Is Naegi-kun with them?”

“Yes. He looks… unharmed.” She tipped her head towards the staircase. “When I say ‘go,’ start running down the stairs. By the time you reach the ground floor, every target will have been incapacitated.”

“And if they’re not?” Kirigiri was answered by nothing more than a cold stare. In response, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and assured, “Make no mistake, I don’t doubt your abilities. It’s the talents of the kidnappers that worry me.”

“What do you--”

“Never mind. I’ll tell you about it later. For now, focus on the task at hand.”

“...Fine. Get ready. Oh, and take this.” She tossed her companion a gasmask. Kirigiri caught it and made her way to the very top of the stairs whilst Ikusaba readied her arrangement of weapons, which consisted mainly of tear gas, firearms loaded with rubber bullets, and other such non-lethal tools. Kirigiri would likely insist that avoiding bloodshed was her idea, but the reality was that Ikusaba had decided as much before Kirigiri even brought it up. It wasn’t that the soldier was against killing (in fact, it was quite the opposite), it was the fact that she still held suspicions that Naegi’s captors were members of Super High School Level Despair. In fact, she was almost positive. If she was correct, then deadly force was out of the question. For now.

Ikusaba seized one of the cannisters from her gear and brought one foot up to the windowsill. Time froze, suspended for her alone as her mind devised a plan of attack. Then, the constellation of targets came into position all at once.

“ _Go!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congratulations! Your Kirigiri evolved into Queerigiri!


	4. Makoto Naegi Defense Squad, Pt. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter in the Defense Squad arc. :)c

Makoto Naegi hadn’t felt this light-headed waking up since his last trip to the dentist. He wasn’t sure how much he could trust his senses, but he thought he felt hands prodding and pushing him. As he forced his eyes open, he saw four-- no, two-- blurry shadows hovering over him. The garbled sounds coming from the figures slowly became more clear, as though his ears were tuning themselves to the tones.

“...--even more quickly than I anticipated. Good work, Ikusaba-san.” Was that… Kirigiri? And the other figure, that was Ikusaba? Naegi squinted, trying to distinguish their features. When his vision finally became clear, however, he saw not the faces of his friends, but the faces of two creatures with gaping eyes and large, tube-like snouts. His ensuing scream was enough to make both monsters flinch.

“Oh. I suppose we can take these off.” One of the creatures proceeded to pull its face off like a mask-- oh, wait, it was a mask. “Relax, Naegi-kun,” said Kirigiri, her face finally matching her voice, “they’re only gasmasks. We’re not here to kidnap you again.”

“Kirigiri-san… and Ikusaba-san?” If the Super High School Level Soldier was here, then… He looked around and realized that they were indeed surrounded by bodies. He gasped. “I-ikusaba-san, you--!”

“Not dead,” she replied bluntly. “Unconscious.”

“Ah.” He visibly relaxed. “T-that’s good…” He started to bring himself to his feet.

Ikusaba tensed. “Naegi-kun…!” She darted to his side and tried to help him up.

“It’s okay, Ikusaba-san, I can--” As though on cue, his stomach lurched and his vision spun again. Before he knew it, he was doubled over and spilling what little he had in his stomach.

“Naegi-kun!” Kirigiri echoed Ikusaba’s concern. “Is he…”

“He must be nauseous from the gas. He’ll be fine in an hour or so.”

This time, Naegi gratefully leaned against the tall girl. “Heh…” Despite the cold sweat on his brow, he fought to keep his tone bright. “I’m glad to see you guys working together… I mean, it seems like you two are always the ones to rescue me!”

“What?” Both girls looked at each other incredulously. It was as though the thought that each of them wasn’t his only savior hadn’t even occurred to them.

“He must be delusional… the gas is still affecting him,” Ikusaba declared.

“N-no, I’m fine!”

“At any rate… let’s get him home. I think we could all use some rest, in fact,” Kirigiri decided. Naegi nodded and began to trudge forward in tandem with Ikusaba. It would be a long walk back to Hope’s Peak… he wished the kidnappers hadn’t stolen his wallet, or he’d call a taxi. Maybe he could ask Kirigiri if she could-- no, that would be asking too much. He was just grateful that he was finally going home.

-x-

“R-really, I’m fine, you guys! I don’t even feel sick anymore! Don’t worry about me!” Neither Ikusaba nor Kirigiri gave any sign of heeding his plea. They stood at the foot of his bed as though deciding what to do with him while he floundered, exasperated, though at what, Ikusaba didn’t know.

“Naegi-kun, I realize that having two girls in your room must be rather distracting, but we need to discuss what happened,” stated Kirigiri.

Naegi's cheeks flushed bright red. “Huh? N-no, that’s not--!” Then he shook his head vigorously, as though dispelling a thought from his mind. “Um, about what happened, huh… Honestly, I don’t remember them saying much. A lot of the times I’ve been kidnapped, the captors mention what they want to trade me for, but these people didn’t. I don’t know where they took me, either, because they kept a bag over my head most of the time. They didn’t even speak to me, really.”

Kirigiri sunk ever so slightly. “I see. Did you catch them speaking with each other at all?”

“No, I think they did most of the talking out of my earshot. They wore those strange masks the whole time, too, so I couldn’t see their faces.”

“Then we have absolutely nothing to go on,” she said shortly. “Wonderful.”

In contrast to Kirigiri’s frustration, however, Ikusaba breathed an internal sigh of relief. As she had suspected, SHSL Despair was responsible for kidnapping Naegi, but thanks to their caution (or perhaps due to lack of interest in the boy), Kirigiri was utterly in the dark. Certainly, Ikusaba thought it strange that they refrained from tormenting him, but she thought little of it. Maybe she’d try asking Junko later, though chances of her revealing her intentions were slim.

“Sorry, Kirigiri-san…” Naegi’s gentle words brought Ikusaba back to reality. “Maybe I’ll remember something later. My head’s kind of starting to hurt.”

“In that case, we should go. Get some sleep.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Kirigiri-san. For saving me, I mean. Oh, you too, Ikusaba-san.” Ikusaba responded only with a nod.

“There’s no need for thanks. Any one of our classmates would have tried to help, had they the opportunity,” Kirigiri replied.

Naegi smiled. “Maybe I’ll thank them too, then. Goodnight, you guys. Or, uh, good morning.”

Kirigiri mirrored his expression, her lips curving into a similar smile. “Good morning, Naegi-kun.” She turned and approached the exit. Ikusaba followed closely.

In the hallway, they hesitated outside the closed door. Kirigiri seemed to be thinking. “So, uh,” Ikusaba started, “do you have any ideas about those kidnappers, or--”

In that moment, Ikusaba faced a choice. She could either allow the detective to shove her against Naegi’s door, or she could counter her and turn the tables by pinning Kirigiri between herself and the barrier and ask what the hell she was doing. Not that Ikusaba would lose any advantage by letting herself be attacked. She supposed it was more a matter of whether she trusted Kirigiri to do something more affectionate than berate her with questions, as unlikely as it seemed, or whether she wanted to scare Kirigiri out of attempting it again.

Ikusaba was never one to keep her hopes up. Nevertheless, in a split second, she found herself sandwiched between Naegi’s door and Kirigiri’s body.

Kirigiri’s kisses were just as enthusiastic they had been last night, as though she was continuing the thought. Unfortunately, the longer it progressed, the more Ikusaba realized that she had no idea what she was doing. Should… she do something with her hands? What was Kirigiri doing with hers? Oh, they were just pressed against the door on either side of her--no, wait, now they were wrapped around her neck. Ikusaba gave up and wrapped her arms around Kirigiri’s waist. The flak vest between them probably made it uncomfortable, but Kirigiri didn’t seem to care, for in response to the soldier hugging her even closer to herself, she crushed her lips even more gracelessly against Ikusaba’s. If the hall monitor boy were to see this, Ikusaba thought, he’d have the conniption of the century. Actually, it was surprising that Naegi hadn’t--

The support that Ikusaba had been leaning against disappeared. She found herself falling backwards. Almost instantaneously, she caught herself and turned to face the one who had opened the door. Kirigiri, however, continued to descend until she fell hard on her back, having also been turned around by Ikusaba’s movement.

“Kirigiri-san!” Naegi dove forward and tended to the fallen girl. “Are you alright? I heard the door jostling, so I… I’m sorry!” He looked up and seemed to notice Ikusaba for the first time. “Did… you two have a fight?”

“It’s nothing,” she assured, pulling herself to her feet with Naegi’s help. “We were just… having a conversation. No hostility intended.” She cast the other girl a tired gaze. “Although… I believe that was the second time you’ve thrown me to the ground, Ikusaba-san.”

“Sorry,” she said. There was still a light flush to her cheeks. “Reflexes.”

“Sorry to have scared you, Naegi-kun. We’ll take our leave now.” Kirigiri turned suddenly and stalked away, leaving the other two in the dust. They could only watch as she turned the corner and disappeared.

“She must be embarassed…” said Naegi.

“Yeah,” Ikusaba agreed. She wished she had more to say for once, but she was still distracted by the memory of Kirigiri’s body against hers. She wet her chapped lips with the tip of her tongue.

“Anyway… thanks again for saving me, Ikusaba-san. I’ll try not to get kidnapped so easily next time.” He gave a nervous chuckle and smiled at her.

“Naegi-kun…” She hesitated, unsure of what it was she wanted to say.

“Uh… Ikusaba-san?”

“...you should rest.”

“Oh, right. I’m pretty tired, actually.” He confirmed this with a yawn. “See you later, Ikusaba-san.” She nodded as he waved goodbye before closing the door.

She stood there for a moment, uncertain of what to do. She thought about knocking on his door and asking if he wanted to maybe, y’know, hang out sometime when he was feeling better, and if he’s ever feeling uneasy or unsafe, he could call her? No, she thought, that’s stupid. Even if he said yes, it would be stupid. She put the thought out of her mind and walked hastily down the hallway.

Unsurprisingly, Kirigiri was waiting around the corner for her. Ikusaba stopped in the middle of the intersection and looked back at her warily.

“Another interruption,” said the detective. “I suppose such is our fate.”

“We’re lucky we weren’t caught,” Ikusaba retorted.

“It’s still very early. I doubt even the athletes are awake yet.”

“I meant by Naegi-kun.”

“Ah.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder with a wave of her hand. “I didn’t realize you cared.”

“Just tell me one thing,” said Ikusaba, turning so that she could see Kirigiri’s expression a little better, “I’ve overheard… rumors. You and Naegi-kun, are you… I mean…” She trailed off, not exactly knowing how to word her question. Not that she needed to.

“A couple?” Ikusaba nodded stiffly. Kirigiri gave the smallest of smirks. “Do you think my interactions with you would be quite the same if we were?” Ikusaba nodded again. Kirigiri chuckled softly. “Well, a rumor is a rumor. It would ruin it if I were to tell you.” She paused for a moment, and Ikusaba wondered if she intended to leave it at that, but then she continued, tilting her head inquisitively. “If I said ‘yes,’ would it upset you because I would have been betraying Naegi-kun, or because I’d be betraying you? Or because you know I’d pick him over you? Or because you’d be partially to blame for hurting him?” Ikusaba’s eyebrows jumped in surprise. That sounded like something her sister would ask her. Usually she’d deem to answer such a question, if only to amuse Junko, but the way Kirigiri said it… well, it was almost unnerving. It was as though the words didn’t belong to her.

“I’m sorry,” said Kirigiri, interrupting Ikusaba’s thought. “That was only hypothetical. I would never hurt Naegi-kun that way. You have nothing to worry about.”

Ikusaba responded brusquely. “I wasn’t worried. It’s none of my business.”

Kirigiri raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Indeed. Well, I should be going. I’d like to investigate the crime scene, if it qualifies as such, while the iron is hot.” She straightened her collar and began to walk towards the exit of the dormitory building. “Perhaps one of these days we can finish what we started without interruption.” She gave the other girl a wave as she passed. Ikusaba said nothing, thought nothing, but listened as the exit some ways behind her opened and closed and the clacking of boot heels disappeared.

...Shit. Now she had to worry about Kirigiri finding something she shouldn’t. Well, maybe if she didn’t tail her so closely this time, she wouldn’t be detected. It was worth a shot. She considered stopping by Junko’s room to tell her what had happened and ask what the hell was going on, but she had a feeling it would be futile. Maybe she’d try later.

Ikusaba counted a full minute before beginning her pursuit. Idly, she wondered if she should have killed the girl when she had the chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk naegi it looks like kirigiri's got some fresh bruises on her neck, they were DEFINITELY fighting


	5. Fright Night (Pt. 1)

Naegi gave a tired sigh, relieved that it was finally time for lunch. Classes were really dragging this morning, though he suspected it only felt that way because he’d been gone for half a week. The instructors had been kind enough to let him make up the work he’d missed, at least. He slid the stack of papers to the side of his desk and pulled out his lunch box to peek inside before joining the group that was gathering in the corner of the classroom.

“Hey, Naegi-chi! You’ve still got a pulse! See, what did I tell you guys, he’s fine!” Hagakure, of course, was only _just now_ coming to class. Or, rather, coming to lunch. He was lucky Ishimaru had already left for the cafeteria. “Uh,” he added sheepishly, “you’re not, uh, holding that whole letting-you-get-kidnapped thing against me, right?”

Naegi smiled weakly. “If I did that, I don’t think I’d have any friends left in here. It was probably just bad luck that got me in trouble.”

“Your epithet is certainly a misnomer. You are, by far, the least fortunate person I’ve ever encountered,” said Celes, who was waiting for Yamada to gather her lunch for the trip to the cafeteria. “Of course, as a gambler, I’m accustomed to the company of those blessed by fortune, so I suppose that statement means little.”

“Finally, you’re catching on,” Togami sneered. Celes made no indication that she heard him.

With lunch and a page of homework in hand, Naegi joined the circle of desks that was forming. Today, his lunch group was comprised of Maizono, Hagakure, Kuwata, Kirigiri, and himself. “So Naegi,” Kuwata began, “when you get kidnapped, do they ever… you know… _do_ things to you?”

Naegi tensed. “W-what?”

“Kuwata-kun!” Maizono scolded. “Don’t ask such terrible things!”

“What? It was a simple, innocent question! I didn’t even specify what I meant by-- _ow_!” Kuwata had been struck by an angry Maizono, who proceeded to berate him with a shrill lecture on being sensitive to his friends’ feelings. Hagakure laughed obnoxiously. Naegi furrowed his brow.

“Could we, uh, not talk about me getting kidnapped? It’s getting kind of old…” he pleaded.

“But what other defining characteristics do you have?” said Kirigiri with a small smile.

Naegi laughed somewhat stiffly. “None, I guess!” Hagakure and Kuwata laughed along with him, while Maizono frowned at the self-depreciative joke. Thankfully, though, the subject seemed to stop there.

As the others spoke amongst themselves, Naegi turned his attention to his homework. He’d grabbed a worksheet to do while he ate, but as he tried to read the instructions at the top of the page, he found that he was completely lost. He sighed and propped his head on one fist and let his mind wander. His thoughts had been feeling fragmented for the past several days (well, okay, for the past few weeks); he found his attention drifting as his mind became clouded with worries.

Most of his concerns revolved around his friends. He worried about Hagakure passing his classes and staying out of trouble. He worried about Kenichiro’s health, for Oogami’s sake. He worried about Maizono when he could see the stress in her round, blue eyes. He worried about Ishimaru and the way his voice had trembled when he confessed to Naegi that his feelings for Oowada might be more than platonic. He worried about Ikusaba, and how the only light he ever saw in her eyes was when her sister spoke to her. He worried about Kirigiri and the way he could never tell exactly what she felt for him, his memories caught between the times that her lips were brushing against his and the times that she’d speak to him like he was a stranger.

He hadn’t yet decided on whether to act on his troubles or not. He tried to put it out of his mind, to concentrate on his work, but ever since the other night, a new worry had entered his mind…

He shook his head. He knew it was just his imagination getting carried away. He was a typical teenager, after all.

To distract himself from his own thoughts, he looked around the classroom. Asahina, who was sitting with Oogami as usual, was arguing across the room with Hagakure about something or other. He also noted that the instructor had left her bag on her desk again; she’d likely be coming back to retrieve it sooner or later. He caught sight of the corner of a textbook in Oowada’s backpack… was he stealing from the classroom again? Maybe Naegi should tell Ishimaru this time… then again, maybe that was why he stole it. He smiled and continued his survey of the classroom. Half of the class--Yamada, Celes, Togami, Fukawa, Fujisaki, Oowada, and Ishimaru--was eating in the cafeteria, while the other half--Naegi, Kuwata, Kirigiri, Maizono, Hagakure, Ikusaba, Oogami, and Asahina--remained in the classroom.

...Wait a second. Was he forgetting someone? He recounted the students in his head and realized his error. He looked around the room again. Enoshima was nowhere to be found. Indeed, Ikusaba seemed to be eating alone at her desk. “Ikusaba-san,” he called, “where is Enoshima-san today?”

“Out,” she stated without looking up from her meal.

Naegi’s brow furrowed. “Huh… so, uh, do you want to sit with us, then?”

At this, Ikusaba turned her listless gaze towards him and stared at him. For a moment he thought that maybe he’d said something strange without realizing it, what with the look she gave him. But then she abruptly stood up and replied, “Okay.”

She slid a desk into the gap between Maizono and Kuwata and joined the circle. Maizono seemed grateful for the new presence between them. “If he gives you any trouble,” she said, “just smack him in the arm or face or something. I give you my blessing!” She giggled sweetly.

Kuwata, however, looked shaken. “D-don’t tell her that! She’d probably kill me!”

“Kuwata-kun! That’s rude! Ikusaba-san, give him a whack!”

“Uh… no thanks.” Ikusaba didn’t even bother to look up as she picked at her meal with her utensils.

“Hey, what are you working on there, Naegi-chi? Trying to get your penmanship as nice as mine?” Hagakure asked.

“Oh, it’s just some English homework. I don’t really get it, though. I guess that’s what missing a bunch of classes will do to you, huh?”

“I don’t blame you, man. English is trash,” said Kuwata, nodding decisively.

“Well, I don’t know about that, but… I was sort of getting mediocre grades in the subject to begin with. I guess I just need to study harder.” He scratched at the back of his neck nervously. “Does, uh, anyone have any time to help me catch up sometime?”

As expected, most of the group either shook their heads or looked away, pretending not to hear. It was a few seconds before someone spoke up.

“I guess… I could help, if--”

“I’m fairly fluent in the language. I could tutor you after class if you’d like, Naegi-kun.” Kirigiri’s voice drowned out Ikusaba’s gentle offer. The soldier stared at her for a moment before resigning her attention to what was left of her lunch.

“Yeah, that sounds good, Kirigiri-san,” he said. “Ikusaba-san, what were you saying?”

Naegi thought he saw a hint of surprise in her eyes, but it vanished too quickly for him to be sure. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that I was interrupting. You can have Naegi-kun if you want, Ikusaba-san,” said Kirigiri.

Ikusaba spoke a little more firmly. “I said it’s fine. You’re probably better at English than I am, anyway. You keep him.”

“Are you even still talking about studying? It sounds like you’re giving him away to get married or something,” grumbled Kuwata.

Naegi chuckled nervously. “I’d be happy with either of you guys as a study partner, really.” Then he brightened. “Hey, why don’t we all just study together? It’s probably easier that way, right?”

Kirigiri put her fist to her chin. “The three of us? Together? I don’t see why not.”

“I can’t. I’m busy tonight. Sorry.” Ikusaba stabbed her fork into her lunch with force as if to punctuate the end of the conversation.

“Anyway…” Kuwata began loudly, eager to change the subject, “I figured you wouldn’t mind, Naegi, but since you were gone last friday and the rec room was occupied, we went ahead with movie night in Hagakure’s room instead of yours.”

“Let me guess… you watched Shrek again?” Kirigiri presumed.

“Yeah, but only because it’s the only movie he’s got!”

“Hey!” Hagakure jumped to his own defense. “Shrek is a great movie, ‘right? And it’s based on a true story!”

“The hell? No it’s not!”

“Is too! And besides, it’s not like I didn’t have any other flicks, the others are just… in use!”

“‘In use’? You mean those discs stuck to your walls? Let me guess, you’re using those to keep the aliens out?”

“Whoa, you know about the anti-ET fields of DVDs, too?”

At this, Kuwata smacked his hand to his face. “You’re an embarrassment.”

“So, uh, movie night in my room as usual this friday?” Naegi offered.

“Certainly,” said Kirigiri.

“Sorry, I’m recording some vocals that day! I can’t come,” said Maizono.

“Us neither,” said Hagakure, hooking his arm around Kuwata’s shoulder. “We’ve gotta work on that research paper, ‘right?”

“Sakura-chan and I can come! I’ll bring the donuts!” cried Asahina, who was half-standing in her seat.

“You’re not just gonna eat them all again, are you?” Kuwata complained.

“Hey, it’s not my fault if you guys are too slow! If you want your share, get on my level!” she retorted.

Naegi laughed. “Maybe you should bring extras this time?”

Asahina’s answer was drowned out by the scraping of a chair against the floor. Ikusaba rose from her seat, apparently finished with lunch. Kirigiri addressed her. “Ikusaba-san, before you leave… will you come, too?”

“What?” Ikusaba blinked in surprise.

“Oh yeah, you’ve never been to movie night, have you? You should come! You don’t have to like movies or anything,” said Naegi.

“No, I, uh, I like movies… I’ll come.”

Naegi’s eyes shone. “Great! Maybe I’ll get an action movie this time… what do you guys think?”

Despite the fact that half of them weren’t going to the event on friday, the group debated on what movies they should watch. This inevitably led to the mutual insulting of each other’s tastes in film. Ikusaba, of course, slipped away as soon as the attention was drawn away from her, while Asahina and Oogami gladly joined the discussion. By the time class resumed, Naegi had temporarily forgotten his troubles.

-x-

“Let’s go over the vocabulary again. You need to work on your pronunciation.” Kirigiri shuffled the flashcards they had made for their study session.

Naegi groaned and put his head on the table. They were in Kirigiri’s room, so there was little space for him to maneuver; much of the table was covered in stacks of reports from old and ongoing cases. Naegi had once asked how she made the time for both solving mysteries and completing schoolwork. At the time, she’d told him it was her secret, but the truth of the matter was that, despite her intelligence, her grades were hardly boast-worthy. Homework simply wasn’t a priority compared to her cases.

Naegi buried his head in his arms and grumbled again. Kirigiri rolled her eyes. “Moaning about it isn’t going to make it any easier. Practice makes perfect.”

“I know, I know,” said Naegi. “Could we take a little break, though? I’m exhausted.”

Kirigiri held Naegi’s pleading gaze for only a moment before relenting. “Fine,” she said, smiling and shaking her head. “Don’t expect me to entertain you, though.”

“Right.” To Kirigiri’s surprise, he kept his head down and remained silent. It struck her as very un-Naegi. She didn’t like it. Still, perhaps it wasn’t any of her business…

“Kirigiri-san,” he said, “could I ask you something?”

“Certainly.”

“I…” He’d lifted his head up, but kept his eyes averted. Hesitation, indecision. Kirigiri knew what he was about to ask, for she’d asked herself many times before. “Uh… sorry if this is weird or anything, but I’ve been wondering…” He straightened all the way up and scratched the back of his head, as he was prone to do when he was nervous. “We’ve known each other for a while now, and I consider you one of my closest friends-- you consider me a friend, right, Kirigiri-san?”

“Of course.”

Naegi apparently couldn’t help but beam at her for a moment before continuing, his sentences staggering like they were on stilts. “Well, it’s just that… I like spending time with you, Kirigiri-san, but sometimes we do stuff that’s, uh, more than just friendly... not that I’m complaining or anything, I just don’t want to make any assumptions, and--”

“Naegi-kun. You’re rambling.”

He chuckled nervously. “Sorry. What I was going to ask was… are we, um, a couple? It’s okay if we’re not, I like just being friends with you, but…” he trailed off, his eyes glued to his twiddling thumbs.

Kirigiri tried to contain her amusement, if only to avoid hurting Naegi’s feelings, but she nevertheless began to giggle softly. Naegi stared at her, clearly confused. She calmed herself and absently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Naegi-kun… what do you think?”

“Huh? Oh, uh… yes?” His eyes were as wide as dinnerplates. Kirigiri chuckled again.

“I think… it would be selfish of me to keep you all to myself, wouldn’t it?”

“Huh?” he said again, blinking. This was not the answer he was expecting, she was sure. “What do you mean?”

“There are others who care about you as I do, Naegi-kun. Surely you know that.”

“L-like you do?” Kirigiri hadn’t thought that Naegi’s face could get any redder, but even she had been known to be wrong on occasion.

“Certainly. You’ve noticed how Maizono-san dotes over you, haven’t you? She adores you.”

“Maizono-san? I guess she’s nice, but… I don’t really think…”

Kirigiri shrugged. “I was merely using her as an example. But you understand what I’m saying, don’t you?”

Naegi furrowed his brow. “You… think I should see other people? But--”

“Don’t be mistaken; I’m not implying that we should end our relations. I’m simply saying that we should not be restricted to a single person.”

“You mean, like…” He brightened when he found the words. “An open relationship?”

“That almost sounds right, yes.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Although… if you really would be more comfortable being in a monogamous relationship, I suppose… I wouldn’t object…” Kirigiri averted her gaze, suddenly feeling stupidly bashful.

Naegi, however, smiled. “That might be nice, yeah. But… I care about you a lot, Kirigiri-san, and I care what you believe, so I’m going to think about what you said.”

Kirigiri couldn’t help but mirror his grin. “Thank you. I know it might not seem like it from what I’ve been saying, but…” She paused to sweep his bangs out of his eyes and allowed her hand to linger near his face. “I care for you, too, Naegi-kun.” She hesitated, watching his wide eyes dart about her face, and then tilted his face towards her and kissed him softly. He froze for a moment, but then she felt his hand rest on her knee as he gently returned the kiss.

She lingered near him, yearning to continue, but she knew that they shouldn’t get distracted. Sighing, she pulled away and found the flashcards again. “On that note,” she said, somewhat breathlessly, “I think our break is over.”

Naegi echoed her sigh. “Alright. I have one more question, though.”

“Oh?”

“Do you have someone else you like, too?”

Kirigiri smirked. “Perhaps… Why, do you have any suspicions? Any suspects on your list?”

“Maybe. I’ll have to do a little investigating before I can confirm it, though,” he said playfully.

“I’m looking forward to reading the case files.” She tapped the stack of cards on the table to straighten them out. “However, in your case, it’s study first, investigate later.”

“I object!”

“That’s a _court_ case, Naegi-kun. Don’t insult me.”

“Oh… sorry.” But Kirigiri smiled, letting a sense of relief warm her heart.

-x-

“Naegi-kun… Naegi-kun?”

Naegi opened his eyes slowly, unsure if he wanted to see his surroundings. The hands that had been shaking his unconscious body released him, and as his vision came into focus, he found that they belonged to Ikusaba, his friend and classmate. He smiled at the familiarity of the situation. It seemed like he was always being woken up by some rescuer or another, but… something was off. “Ikusaba-san…” He tried to pull himself onto his feet, but his legs collapsed beneath him as soon as he put weight on them.

“Don’t move,” she advised, putting her hands on his shoulders as if to hold him down. “Your leg is broken. I’m going to carry you.”

He looked past her to the leg in question. Sure enough, his leg was twisted hideously and his pant leg was stained a dark red. For some strange reason, though, he experienced no pain. It was like he was viewing his body through a movie; he saw it, but he didn’t feel it.

He didn’t notice the strong scent of blood that was filling his nostrils until he was safely in her arms and traveling across the room. His breath froze in his chest. That’s right, he thought, Ikusaba’s hands had been covered with blood when he’d seen them, though the rest of her was remarkably clean. He slowly turned his head to finally observe his surroundings. His vision became filled with scattered bodies, all with holes in their heads and bodies or slashes across their throats, all very clearly dead. He gasped and tightened his grip around Ikusaba’s shoulder. The stone-faced girl stiffened in turn. “Don’t look. Close your eyes until I say otherwise.” Naegi stared at her for a moment, unsure whether he was amazed or terrified. Her eyes flicked down to meet his only for a moment. Then she gazed forward and said, “Naegi-kun. Please.” Despite her words, her voice was empty, devoid of feeling. It was the coldest he’d ever seen her.

Still, he drew a trembling breath and shut his eyes. _I’m dreaming_ , he thought. _Definitely dreaming_. After all, why else would his broken leg be so painless? Yes, he thought, this was a nightmare… sort of. Really, the only scary part was the death surrounding them. Ikusaba’s presence was a comfort as long as he didn’t think about who could have killed all of these people.

“We’re safe. You can open your eyes.”

Naegi obeyed, looking up to see a weak smile on Ikusaba’s face. He blinked in surprise before slowly smiling back.

He felt an odd sort of breeze graze his back and ruffle his hair. Puzzled, he glanced away from Ikusaba. Below them stretched a dizzyingly long drop, maybe fifteen or twenty stories down. Cars raced through the streets beneath them, blind to the two figures standing in the high balcony. “Ikusaba-san!” Naegi cried, gripping her frantically out of fear of the height. He noticed then that her body was ice-cold, like a corpse. Her smile was gone, replaced by an empty stare.

Naegi gulped and set his jaw. He suddenly felt as though he knew what was about to happen, as if it was inevitable. “Ikusaba-san,” he said with a trembling voice. “You don’t have to do this.” She closed her eyes. He thought for a moment that she might reconsider, that they could walk away and she could take him to the hospital and he could forget about the bodies he saw.

But he was wrong. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. Her arms released him, and he descended.

Naegi awoke in a swaddle of blankets, his eyes crusted with sleep. It took him a moment to confirm that he was truly awake; only after feeling the pain of pinching his arm did he believe it. Naegi didn’t often have such vivid dreams, but when he did, they were usually of memories. This time, he had dreamt of the first time Ikusaba had saved his life. It was also the only time he had ever feared her.

He sat up, trying to put the bloody images out of his mind, but he couldn’t help but notice the strange differences between the dream and reality. His leg had never been broken so horribly; at the time, it was only a minor fracture. The drop from the balcony to the ground hadn’t been so far, and there had been an inflatable cushion to catch him (“I... probably should have mentioned that before dropping you... sorry,” she’d said afterwards). Ikusaba hadn’t been so cold, though she hadn’t smiled at him, either. It was like certain details became exaggerated, while others had been rewritten entirely. Hagakure would probably tell him that it was an ill omen, that Naegi’s life was in danger, but then, he also thought one of the washing machines in the laundry room was inhabited by ghosts.

He stretched a hand towards his bedside table and fumbled with the alarm clock, tilting it so that he could read it. It was fifteen minutes before the alarm would go off. “Ugh,” he groaned, falling back onto the mattress. Thank goodness it was Friday. 


	6. Fright Night (Pt. 2)

“Nobody else is here yet...” Ikusaba observed. “Isn’t Kirigiri-san coming? And a few others?”

Naegi rifled through his backpack in search of the movie he’d chosen for that night. “Yeah, they’re always late. Actually, you’re the first person to arrive on time in ages! Must be a soldier thing, huh?” Ikusaba didn’t respond. Naegi chuckled nervously. Unable to find the DVD, he dumped his entire backpack onto the floor. “Oh, that’s right,” he said, suddenly remembering, “they apparently already had something else planned. I think Kirigiri-san asked for self-defense lessons from Oogami-san, and Asahina-san tagged along?”

“Self-defense lessons?” she echoed, puzzled. “She could have asked me…”

“Maybe you two could partner up? You and Oogami-san, I mean. To, uh, teach self-defense.” He finally spotted the DVD case amongst the mess. He carried it over to his laptop and cracked the container open. “So, um, I guess it’ll just be you and me toni-- wait, what’s this?” He blinked, unsure whether he was reading correctly. He glanced back and forth between the disc’s label and the cover of the case. “Damn it… someone put the wrong movie in here! I thought we could watch one of the new animated flicks that we got in, but it looks like someone switched the disc with some horror film.” He dropped the case onto the desk beside his bed and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “Man… sorry, Ikusaba-san.”

“Makes no difference to me,” she said, shrugging. “D’you, uh, still want to watch it?”

Naegi considered. Usually, he’d say yes without a second thought; watching scary movies with friends wasn’t so bad. But he’d been feeling jumpy all day, perhaps as an aftereffect of last night’s nightmare. If anything, he felt like he’d embarrass himself more than usual because of it, especially since Ikusaba was always so calm and reserved. He’d probably just end up clinging to her like a frightened puppy.

Well… maybe it wouldn’t be that bad. He didn’t know for certain that this movie would even be that scary. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair to Ikusaba if he cancelled movie night.

“If you still want to, sure,” he decided. She nodded and sat herself down on one side of his bed.

He had started to load the disc when he heard a murmur from Ikusaba. “What the...”

“Huh? What’s wrong?” He looked back to see her giving the cell phone in her hand a puzzled stare.

“Kirigiri-san just texted me. She says she’ll be coming by later. I... don’t remember giving her my number, though.”

“Oh, she asked for it the other day. Uh, is that okay? You guys are friends, right?” Ikusaba looked at him with an unreadable expression. Shit, maybe he should have asked her if it was alright beforehand. She didn’t seem the type of person to hand out her personal information to just anyone.

“...Yeah, I guess,” she replied.

“Good,” he said, internally sighing in relief. He turned his attention to the computer screen, which was now playing the movie menu, and fumbled with the controls. The menu didn’t give much away; it looked like a pretty low-budget film. If that was the case, then with any luck, it wouldn’t be too scary. Maybe it would even so bad, they’d laugh at it! Well… Ikusaba probably wouldn’t laugh at it either way, but maybe he could coax a smile out of her anyway. It was known to happen.

 

If only he could be so lucky. Due to the dangerous combination of the movie’s disinteresting plot and Ikusaba being so warm beside him, he found himself dozing off within minutes. Granted, he usually fell asleep at movie night, but on the other hand, Ikusaba wasn’t usually there to throw a protective arm in front of Naegi’s chest when the scene on Naegi’s laptop suddenly erupted with gunfire as the main villain opened fire on the main cast.

“Ah!” he yelped, jerking awake. His pulse pounding, he looked around wildly until he realized where he was. Ikusaba, however, was still shielding him, frozen in that position as if in a trance. “Ikusaba-san, I’m fine! See?” He held up his hands as if to surrender, a nervous smile upon his face.

“Huh?” she said, her voice strained. “Oh... the movie.” She hesitated for a moment, then pulled her arm away and tucked her hair behind her ear as though to disguise the gesture. “Sorry, I, uh… reflexes?”

Naegi laughed. That seemed to be Ikusaba’s excuse for a lot of things. “It’s alright,” he affirmed. He turned his attention back to the movie. It seemed that the villain was running away from the camera. “Heh, looks like you saved me again, huh?”

The corners of her lips twitched. “Sure did…” She looked away suddenly, hiding her face from Naegi completely. “T-try not to get into so much trouble, yeah?”

“Yeah…” Part of him wanted to find out if the pinkness of her cheeks was just a trick of the light. The other part of him remembered how tired he was. He closed his eyes and raised his arms above his head, arching his back in a slow stretch. When he relaxed and opened his eyes, he was met with the image of a mangled policeman on the computer screen. He cringed again, his mind suddenly filled with images he’d wanted to forget about. He looked away from the screen and focused on twiddling his thumbs as screaming could be heard from the speakers.

“Um, Ikusaba-san…” He began, hoping to repel the memories, “s-sorry if this is too personal or anything, but… how do you feel about Kirigiri-san?”

If Ikusaba became any stiffer, Naegi didn’t notice. “Um… I already said we’re friends… right?” She snuck a peek at Naegi out of the corner of her eye before averting her gaze again.

“Right, sorry,” he said quickly. Of course they were just friends! He rarely saw them together, after all. It must have just been his hormones that made him imagine them together. “Ah, I wonder who it is, then…”

“Who who is?”

“Uh… well, it’s kind of a long story…” Should he be saying this? If he was speaking to anyone else, then the answer would be “no,” but… he trusted Ikusaba. She never divulged their private conversations to anyone as far as he knew, nor did he. “The thing is… I’m not positive, but I think Kirigiri-san is, uh… interested in someone. But I can’t figure out who it is.”

“Someone who isn’t you? Are… are you sure? I thought you two were togeth-- um, I thought you two were really close.”

“Oh, no, I meant-- well, yes and no, I guess. I mean… I think she might be interested in somebody in addition to me.” He felt his face flush at the thought of her liking him in the first place. The fact that Ikusaba started to stare at him didn’t help.

“I don’t understand…” she said softly, looking almost quizzical.

“Ugh, sorry, I keep getting ahead of myself. Um… the other day, Kirigiri-san and I were talking, and basically… we’re considering being in a sort of, uh, ‘open relationship,’ I guess. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what she was talking about? She didn’t sound totally sure, but…” He trailed off and looked at Ikusaba again. Her usual blank stare had returned. Naegi wasn’t sure if this was a good sign or not. “Anyway, she made it sound like she might like somebody else, but she wouldn’t say who.”

“...Are you really okay with that?”

“Huh?” Ikusaba’s question had been so soft, Naegi was hardly certain she had spoken at all.

“Kirigiri-san being with someone else… are you alright with that?”

Truth be told, Naegi had been asking himself that same question frequently over the past several days. Fortunately, he always managed to come to the same conclusion. “If Kirigiri-san’s happy, I’m happy,” he said, his voice filled with more resolve than he expected. “So yeah, if she cares for someone else, I’m okay with it.”  

Ikusaba was silent for a long time. When Naegi finally looked back up at her, it looked like she was deep in thought. Or maybe she was just watching the movie. He was never really sure with her.

But soon he heard another whisper. “What about you?” she asked.

“Me? What do you mean?”

“The ‘open relationship’ thing. If you started… well, ‘liking’ someone else, would you choose one over the other, or…?”

“...Or would I want to be with both of them?” he finished. She nodded. Naegi tugged at his collar, suddenly aware of how warm he was in his jacket and hoodie. Ikusaba was asking an awful lot of questions tonight. Usually she just listened while Naegi babbled on-- something he wasn’t prone to do with anyone except her. “Um… I don’t know,” he answered, “I can’t even really imagine what that would be like, so… I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about that part much since I don’t know of anyone else who feels that way for me. But… I guess I’d at least give them a chance?”

“Hm,” she murmured. She gave no further response. He suddenly felt anxious as to whether this was a gesture of disapproval.

“H-how do you feel about all this? Do you think this is a good idea?”

She blinked. “Uh… I don’t know. Maybe? Yeah, I think so.”

Naegi smiled. To anyone else, Ikusaba’s reply might sound awfully unsure, but he knew that her final answer was genuine. “Thanks, Ikusaba-san.” She nodded silently, her eyes glued to the screen again. He sat up straight up again and followed her gaze. “So, uh, how’s the movie?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t been paying attention.”

“Oh, right, sorry. That’s probably my fault, heh.”

Having exhausted their discussion, they continued watching the movie in silence. As time passed, he became increasingly aware that the film was, in fact, terrible. His mind began to wander aimlessly until his eyes fell on Ikusaba’s hand, which laid between their bodies like a wall dividing them. Her palm was against the mattress, so he could see the star-and-wolf tattoo which adorned the back of her hand. He wondered whether there was some meaning behind the symbol beyond being a mark of membership within Fenrir, or why she decided to get it on her hand of all places. He also wondered if it would feel any different from the rest of her skin if he dragged a finger across it.

He’d started to ask her about it when he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. It took him a moment to realize that Ikusaba had fallen asleep leaning against him. He smiled, shifted himself so that he could better support her (for she was much taller than he was), and stared at the screen until his eyelids grew heavy.

-x-

As she traveled down the hallway towards Naegi’s room, Kirigiri fumbled around inside her bag until she felt the cold plastic of her phone. She tapped the screen, shut her eyes against the agonizing brightness until her eyes adjusted, and checked her inbox. Empty, of course. She opened a new message and began to type:

“What are you wearing?” She tapped the To: option and selected Mukuro Ikusaba.

The ensuing reply arrived more quickly than she had anticipated. “School uniform why whatre you wearing…”

Kirigiri smirked. It was likely that her flirtation was lost on the recipient. No matter; she’d simply make it a little more obvious. She typed a reply: “Nothing you can’t take off.” Then, not feeling patient enough to see how Ikusaba would respond, another: “I’m on my way.”

She didn’t bother to suppress the wry smile that appeared on her face. She wondered what had been the deciding factor in changing her relationship with Ikusaba from casual acquaintance to covert (or, in Ikusaba’s case, unsuspecting) lover. Perhaps it was the thrill of unraveling the mystery of such a reserved yet fascinating person. Perhaps it was the entertaining nature of their interactions, or that Kirigiri kept noticing strange parallels between the two of them. Or perhaps it was the unexpectedly vicious energy the girl possessed, whether when kissing or fighting.

It could be any or all of these factors, but one thing was for certain: her father’s warning that Ikusaba was dangerous had nothing to do with it. Definitely not. Well… probably not.

Like a catalyst, that final doubt sent a train of new uncertainties through her mind. Was she being too forward with Ikusaba? Were her advances unwelcome? She had never bothered to ask. Surely Ikusaba would quietly avoid Kirigiri if she was uncomfortable. That’s just who she was. But then, she didn’t seem to evade Enoshima much, despite the latter’s occasional bouts of tormentation towards her sister. And what of her infatuation with Naegi? If she didn’t agree with the possibility of an open relationship, should Kirigiri retreat and let Ikusaba be with him? Or should Kirigiri attempt to force Ikusaba to back off? No, no, of course not, she’d let Naegi decide what to do. His desires were more important in this scenario.

Kirigiri rubbed her temple while the other hand rested on Naegi’s doorknob. She was getting herself too worked up. It was time to be calm and collected, if only for Naegi’s sake. If he saw her becoming so nervous over the very relationship she’d suggested, then he’d empathetically call the whole thing off, and the opportunity would disappear. She took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob.

“Don’t shoot,” she called before poking her head into the room. “It’s me.”

As she peeked inwards, she found a leering Ikusaba sitting beside Naegi, who was sleeping peacefully against his neighbor’s shoulder. Kirigiri stifled a grin and continued. “I don’t know what you were expecting. I texted you.”

“I’m not taking your clothes off,” Ikusaba replied.

Kirigiri laughed, a sound that always seemed to surprise Ikusaba. “Of course not. All clothing is staying on tonight. Probably.” She put her bag down near the laptop before glancing at its screen. “A horror movie? Interesting. Your choice?”

Ikusaba shook her head. “It’s a long story…”

“Either that, or you don’t feel like telling me.”

Ikusaba’s response was interrupted by a movement at her side. Naegi yawned and stretched his arms. “Kirigiri-san? When did you get here?” he said groggily.

“Just now. I haven’t even taken my shoes off yet.” As she said this, she sat upon the edge of the bed and began to undo the straps of her violet boots. “Speaking of movies, if you’re still in the mood, I brought along another film. I believe it’s an action movie." 

“Oh! Yeah, that’s perfect!” He scooted down the bed and closer to Kirigiri, his eyes gleaming. She handed the DVD to him from her bag.

As he worked on loading the disc, Kirigiri sat herself next to Ikusaba. “Um,” the soldier murmured, “Naegi-kun’s sitting over there.” She gestured to her right with a nod.

“I know.”

“Don’t you… want to sit by him?”

Kirigiri blinked, feigning confusion. “Would you rather I sit there?”

“No, uh, sit where you want, I’m just saying…”

“Are you two fighting again?” Naegi called without looking at them.

“No,” Kirigiri said with a sigh, “just needlessly fussing. Could you please move over a bit, Ikusaba-san? I’m on the edge of the bed.” Ikusaba hesitated as though entertaining the thought of doing the opposite and shoving Kirigiri onto the floor. Thankfully, however, she nodded and moved closer to the center of the mattress.

Once everyone was settled and the movie started playing, it did not take long for Naegi to doze off again. Kirigiri couldn’t blame him; between the predictable plot points and dubious laws of physics which seemed to apply to the main characters, she found it hard to enjoy. Instead, her mind wandered.

“You seem unusually antagonistic tonight,” she said suddenly.

“Huh?” Ikusaba tore her gaze away from the screen and stared at the girl quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“Well... not actively aggressive, I suppose. But you seem on edge. Do you want me to leave you alone with Naegi-kun?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“...I see.” Kirigiri wasn’t sure whether she could believe that or not. Maybe she was just imagining things, or maybe Ikusaba simply didn’t want to discuss it. Either way, it was impossible to ignore the nagging feeling in her gut.

“Ikusaba-san… do you want me to leave you alone?”

“Um… you just asked that…”

“No, I’m speaking on a grander scale now. Ever since we rescued Naegi-kun, you’ve become increasingly wary of me.” She paused to tuck her hair behind an ear. “I... realize that I’ve been disregarding your discomfort in favor of engaging in incredibly coquettish and forward behavior towards you, so I’m asking you if you’d like me to stop.”

“No.” The answer passed Ikusaba’s lips almost immediately.

Kirigiri blinked again, this time out of legitimate confusion. “I want you to be honest, Ikusaba-san. You don’t have to lie just to avoid confrontation.”

“I’m not lying. And I’m not afraid of confrontation. I’m fine, Kirigiri-san.”

Kirigiri stared at her for several long seconds before the corners of her lips curved into a small smile. “I see. I’m glad. I didn’t want you to think that I was harassing you out of some sick desire to upset you.”

Ikusaba tensed ever so slightly, but played it off with a shrug. “Doesn’t bother me either way. But, uh… now that you mention it, I do have a question.”

“Oh?”

“This whole ‘open relationship’ thing with Naegi-kun… what is that about?”

“Ah.” So Naegi had disclosed this much to her. Understandable. Kirigiri crossed her legs. “How much did he tell you?”

“Enough.” She shrugged. “I don’t know why he told me, since he seemed pretty sure that he was okay with it.”

“He tends to confide in people he trusts. It’s cathartic, I suppose. I’m certain he values your input. He did ask for your opinion, didn’t he?”

“Yeah.”

Kirigiri nodded. “I thought so. He considers you a very good friend.” Ikusaba didn’t respond. Kirigiri sighed. “I can’t say that I blame him. It seems all of us are a little stressed at the situation.”

“‘All’...?”

Kirigiri pursed her lips. She really didn’t feel like spelling it out for Ikusaba more than she already had. “‘All’ as in Naegi-kun and me. Sorry for any confusion,” she lied tersely.

“Oh… alright.”

“Unless…” Kirigiri studied Ikusaba until she finally glanced sideways at the detective in anticipation. Kirigiri smirked and shook her head. “Well… we’ll see.” Ikusaba gave her a confused stare, but said nothing.

Abruptly, Ikusaba stiffened beside her. In the next moment, Naegi mumbled groggily and adjusted himself so that he laid on his side with his head resting on her lap. Ikusaba glanced between her two neighbors and whispered, “D-do you think he…"

“Don’t worry,” Kirigiri assured. “He sleeps like a rock. He didn’t hear a thing.”

“Ah.” Ikusaba relaxed slightly and slowly lowered her hand so that it rested in his hair.

Stifling a yawn, Kirigiri uncrossed her legs. “He has the right idea, that’s for certain. I think I’ll follow suit.”

“You’re not gonna watch the--?” Ikusaba was interrupted by a lingering kiss on her cheek.

“Goodnight, Ikusaba-san. I’ll see you in the morning.” She paused to admire the deep blush adorning Ikusaba’s cheek before turning and lying down on her side, her back against her neighbor’s warm thigh. She’ll probably stay up and watch the entire movie, she thought with a smile, recalling how fixedly Ikusaba had been watching before Kirigiri had so rudely distracted her. It was a shame, for she’d much prefer her to close the laptop and wrap her arms around Kirigiri again.

Oh well. Maybe next time. 


End file.
